


and the heart is hard to translate; it has a language of it's own

by neckwear



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Royai - Freeform, i'm trash and i love weddings, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 19:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8025889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neckwear/pseuds/neckwear
Summary: Roy has been with Riza in the most intimate of ways, has seen her vulnerable, but nothing has felt as amorous as his hand on the small of her back, and her own on his chest while the other hand laces with his.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dearxalchemist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearxalchemist/gifts).



> because i'm trash and love a) royai b) the idea of weddings and c) the idea of a royai wedding. also, apologies - this title has nearly nothing to do with the fic. dedicted to my dear friend Ace, who helped me with the idea last night, and who i love dearly.

When Roy finally reaches the top, Riza shocks everyone, including herself, and retires. 

Riza's reasoning is that he has no where else to go, as he's already become the leader of the country - and she asserts to everyone who asks, she resigned for herself. 

Roy buys a ring, a simple little band with three small diamonds and saves it for a more opportune time. He wants to propose the second he sees her but he knows better than that. She deserves a proposal that will make anyone she tells about it jealous, one that goes down in the history books. She deserves all this and more and even so, he knows she wouldn't want that.

At the ball that celebrates his inauguration, Riza wears a pure white, long gown. She looks almost heavenly - her blonde hair is down in curls he's sure Rebecca styled herself after much convincing, she doesn't wear much makeup except for the light pink on her lips, and the flush on her face isn't from pink dusted onto her cheeks but rather the overwhelming feeling of all eyes on her as she walks into the building. Roy swears that his heart skips a beat when he lays his eyes on her across the room, looking around before Jean sees her and greets her, and she immediately relaxes. 

The box in his pocket makes his fingers itch all night. He knows she wouldn't want him to propose in such a crowded area but he wants everyone to know, he wants show everyone the woman he's loved ever since he was young and seventeen and still idealistic, he wants to pull her to the middle of the ballroom and get on his knee and ask her to bless him with becoming his wife. Instead he restrains himself, and chalks up his nervous feeling to the new position he's just been granted. 

He is pulled in every direction, meeting various diplomats and important military leaders and political officials. Every now and then, he catches Riza chatting with a group of women, or perhaps a colonel, and wants nothing more than to come from behind her, placing a hand on her waist and capturing her attention. Roy tells himself he can't, only to remember that now, he can, because of her. 

The only break he gets is when he manages to duck away from a party of generals, who all are more engrossed with each other than their new leader, but he welcomes the distraction. Roy doesn't want to be too obvious but he can't help but make a beeline for Riza, who is standing with Fuery and telling him about the puppies Hayate sired. 

"Sorry to interrupt," he starts, and both Riza and Fuery look over, and Roy notices how Riza's eyes are filled with a careful unsureness, even if there is no reason for it. "But I was wondering if I could steal you for a dance."

Fuery glances at Riza, who nods her head subtly, her eyes closing with the movement before looking back up at Roy. "I don't see why not."

He holds out his hand and she hesitates before slipping hers into his, and his hand squeezes hers as they make their way to the dance floor. 

Roy has been with Riza in the most intimate of ways, has seen her vulnerable, but nothing has felt as amorous as his hand on the small of her back, and her own on his chest while the other hand laces with his. As they start their dance, his hand slides up and his fingers feel at a button on the back of her dress. He can't take his eyes off of her, and he desperately wants to run a hand over the delicate ringlets and tuck them behind her ear so he can kiss her. Instead, he says, lamely, "You look lovely."

Riza gives him a soft smile and it makes Roy melt, she looks so relaxed and calm and he wants to keep her like this all of the time. "Thank you," she says, and he notices that she stops herself from calling him sir. It makes him smile, and she blushes. 

"You'll have to kick that habit," he says, and she lets out a deep sigh. 

"I apologize. I'm not quite used to this yet." Riza glances over, and he follows, realizing she is still looking over her shoulder, for the two of them - she knows how suggestive it must look for him to be dancing with his most trusted subordinate only days after her retirement. "Please, don't take this personally," she begins, "But I would hate to varnish your reputation as Fuhrer before you even begin."

"You aren't varnishing anything," he assures her. "I have plenty of enemies already - what's a few more?"

Riza gives him a stern look. "You know what I mean."

And of course he does. The two of them have lived in secret for so long, creating a fragmented version of a relationship while trying to hide their love for each other. Now, he wants to shed that, throw it away in exchange for publicly loving her, but he knows it looks questionable and she still isn't used to being in the spotlight like this. 

The rest of the dance is spent in silence, but it's a comfortable one, he pulls her closer and her head is close enough to his that her warm breath brushes against his cheek and everything is serene to him. He wants to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and make her laugh from how ridiculous he is. He knows there is no need to say anything so he saves his words for later and relishes in the fact that he can touch her and that he won't be locked up for doing so. 

The dance ends quickly, though, and she separates herself from him, but not before saying in his ear to meet her after the party. Roy nearly reminds her that they don't need to sneak around anymore, but instead he simply nods and watches as she walks away, towards Rebecca, who Jean brought as a date. 

Hours go by and he becomes antsy as the ball winds down to a close, desperate to leave and be alone with the one person he wants most to see. Cars start to pull up in the roundabout driveway in front of the building and he thanks everyone for coming, shakes all of their hands and plants kisses on the top of dignitary's wives' gloves. 

Just as the last person leaves, he feels a hand on his shoulder, and turns to see Riza, looking up with a faint smile on her lips. "Surely you'll make sure I get home safe?" she asks, and he knows she's making sure they look as innocuous as possible. 

Roy gives her a smile, and when he makes sure no one else is around, offers his arm for her. "It would be rude of me not to."

Riza's hand slips onto his forearm easily, and he wishes to himself they had shown up together like this, instead of waiting for the car sent for him to arrive. Roy looks over and sees the puff of cold air coming out of her mouth, it's close to wintertime but not quite. He settles for this, there has been so little touching between them that even this is enough to make him anxious, more than he has been in years, because he knows what he's doing when he gets her to her home. 

She unlocks the door, dropping her purse next to the shoes he toes off. Hayate follows as she leads Roy to the bedroom, and sighs loudly when she turns on the light in the room. "You must be exhausted," she says, making her way to the bed. She sits on the edge, not bothering to take her heels off yet. "I didn't do half of what you did yet I'm worn out."

"It was worth it," he tells her. He takes off his jacket, the medals clinking as he sets it on the dresser. He stands across from her, and when he glances back at her, she's looking right at him.

"You got everything you've ever wanted," Riza says, and she sounds more sentimental than usual. 

Roy shakes his head, his hands in his pockets as he closes the gap between them with one stride. "Not quite," he says, before he kneels before her. "There's one more thing I need."

Riza gives him a look, clearly apprehensive of the look of devotion he's giving her. "Is that so?"

He nods, and his hands find hers, and when he observes them he notices the obvious differences, her callouses worse than his, the soot under the beds of his nails that he never bothered to scrub off. "I think your hands would look better with a ring on it."

She laughs, a goodhearted one that he loves, and he is glad he can see her face light up when she looks down at him while still tittering. "Do you even have to ask?"

Her question makes him laugh too, feeling like a fool for even thinking he'd have to pop the question when he knew what her answer would be. Roy's hands squeezes hers and she slips one out of his grasp and cups a hand on his cheek. He feels like he's being blessed by an angel, the way her warm hand touches his cold cheek from the winter air, how her eyes look into his. He dips his head down into her lap and Riza feels the heat of his breath on her dress. "I don't deserve you," is all he says, and she sighs, her hand lacing into his hair. 

"Don't talk like that." Riza sounds stern. Roy starts to kiss over the silk of the dress, starting on her thighs, and his lips trail down her calf to the arch of her foot. He lifts up the dress slightly and nearly swoons at the sheer white tights under her skirt, the white heels that he takes his time removing. Riza sighs, and when he glances up her eyes are closed, and he knows she's tired. 

Roy uses the few minutes he has left with her before she falls asleep and takes the little velvet box out of his pocket, opening it and sliding the ring on her finger. Riza takes a look at it and smiles, flexes her hand and she doesn't have to say it for him to know he made the right choice, even after hours of talking with Madame Christmas and his sisters and worrying. She yawns, covering her mouth with the hand her ring is on, and Roy thinks she could make anything look beautiful.

They get out of their formal clothes and sink into bed together, and she's only in one of the shirts he's left at her home. Riza crawls under the covers, buries herself beneath the sheets as she settles into his arm, holding her waist securely. 

"You'll have to help me pack everything up," she mumbles, sleep close to taking over, and he chuckles, a warm, rich sound coming from his throat. 

"I'm sure we'll have movers."

"I want a nice dog bed for Hayate," she murmurs, which makes him laugh and her smile. "He deserves it."

"Anything you want, it's yours," he promises. She deserves the world and even more, if she wanted a star from the sky he would find a way to get it to her. He hushes her, hearing the sleep in her voice as she dozes off, falling asleep easily and quickly. For the first time in years, Roy sleeps with no nightmares. 

\---

Riza opens the door to the lawn, large and expansive. She looks around for a moment and spots who she's looking for, Hayate nipping at curls as he runs after her, still as spry as ever even if he is old. 

"Come inside, dear!" she calls, and the three year old turns her head before running towards her mother, her hair long and loose and dress modified to make it easier to play. 

Riza never cared that she lives in a mansion, even if Rebecca agonizes over how it's not fair that Riza got married before she did and got to live in a beautiful house. Material things never mattered to her, she could live in a shack and as long as she had him, she would be alright.

It helps, though, to have a huge backyard - it makes it easier for bare feet and paws to run on in the summertime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He glances over at her while she takes her hair out of her clip, fixing it over her shoulder as she looks ahead, and he is transfixed. She catches him out of the corner of her eyes staring at her, and her hand stops on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
> 
> He begins to shake his head, but he doesn’t want to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. “Riza,” he starts carefully, thinking over his words before he says them, “What is next for you?”

Roy walks Riza home on her last day as a soldier. Of course, it pours once they leave Central Command, but this is one time he doesn’t feel useless in the rain. 

The entire day was tinged with a hint of bittersweet happiness. She had insisted that no one in the team buy her anything, so they all pooled their money together and bought a new collar for Hayate, a red one made of genuine leather. They say they technically didn’t buy her anything, and it makes her smile, makes her comment that they’re acting as if she’s leaving for good. Jean jokes that he has some catching up to do if he wants to take over her spot as a perfect shot, and she laughs, giving him a hug.

Roy stays late that night. Everyone else goes home before him, he has some leftover paperwork that he hadn’t been able to finish on account of the nervous tingling in his hands. The door nudges open, and it makes him glance up from his work.

“Are you ready to go?”

Riza has her coat on and his thrown over her arm. She is holding her umbrella and the sight of her is nearly ethereal - the lights are still on in the hall and it makes her look like an angel, and really, she is his guardian angel, his better half. “I’m finishing up,” he tells her, but his pen pauses after writing his last name. “It can wait until tomorrow though.”

“I won’t be there to remind you,” she says, and it’s a lighthearted comment that makes him aware of the small box weighing down his pocket as he stands up. 

“Yes, well,” he starts, moving from his desk to her, taking his coat. “You can remind me before I leave for work.”

Riza nods. “Let’s go.”

The two of them leave Command, and he holds the umbrella above her to protect her from the rain - for once, he isn’t scared of the droplets as they land on his shoulder, in his hair. He glances over at her while she takes her hair out of her clip, fixing it over her shoulder as she looks ahead, and he is transfixed. She catches him out of the corner of her eyes staring at her, and her hand stops on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

He begins to shake his head, but he doesn’t want to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. “Riza,” he starts carefully, thinking over his words before he says them, “What is next for you?”

She wraps her arms around herself and shrugs. “Relax, I suppose.” She tilts her head up, looking at the sky.

“And your dream?” He asks, he knows he is treading sensitive territory. 

“I’ve accomplished all I needed to.” His promotion to Fuhrer lingers in the future - all she had wanted to see was a better country for everyone, and she knew that started with him at the helm. “Now it all rests on you and _your_ dream.”

The rain falls on her face, sneaking past the umbrella. She is stunning, even when she’s starting to let the water drop off the tip of her nose. It makes his heart swell. She is an amazing woman, she is too good for him but she loves him and he is a lucky man.

“Well,” he begins, “I can’t very well do it alone.”

Riza turns her head to look at him. The pressure he feels with her eyes on him is too much to bear. Roy has been practicing what he wants to say to her for days now when he isn’t with her, but suddenly he doesn’t remember a word he was going to tell her. She gives him a knowing look, but asks him regardless. “What are you getting at, Roy?”

Hearing his name on her lips makes him swoon. He stops on the street, turning so the umbrella covers both him and Riza. “Riza,” he starts, and she gives him her complete attention, looking up at him with deep brown eyes. “I have a proposition for you. If, of course, you still want to help guide me a little bit longer.”

“And what’s that?” She gives him a playful smile and he wants to melt, but instead he smiles back. 

“What would you say to joining me in my dream when become Fuhrer?”

Riza moves closer so her hands are on his chest, and her smile becomes genuine, it’s beautiful and it’s like he’s staring at the sun peeking out behind the rain clouds. She stands on the tip of her toes and kisses him, it’s a chaste one but it makes him grin as she lets go. “I would say yes.”

Roy leans forward to kiss her forehead gently, pulling her in closer. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve followed you this far,” she tells him. “There’s no reason I should stop now.”

He feels a warm sensation building in his stomach as he moves to wrap an arm around her waist, sneaking a kiss before they start their walk home again. His thoughts begin to run rampant - he imagines the two of them living in a bigger home, a bigger bed, the sound of small footsteps pattering down the hallway. He wants all this and more, and for the first time in his life, he can have it with the woman he’s loved for years. 

\---

Roy is busy buttoning up his vest when Riza calls for him from the bathroom. He asks for her to hold on, and walks from the mirror above the dresser to the bathroom, large and ornate, and almost swoons at the sight. 

Riza is in a floor length dress, a soft, blush color, it’s silky smooth and the back is fastened up with buttons. Her head is turned around slightly, her hair falling haphazardly past her shoulders, a barrette in between her lips. “Come button me up, please.”

Roy moves across the room, coming behind her and begins to slip the button in it’s spot slowly. He leans down to kiss the scar he can see peeking from behind her dress, and he notices how her muscles tense before she relaxes. With each button, he kisses farther up, until his lips end at the column of her neck. Riza sighs, tilting her head to the side. “We’ll be late if you keep this up, Roy.”

“You should keep your hair down,” he says, and takes the barrettes out from her lips. “It looks nice that way.”

“Do you think so?”

“I mean, it looks nice either way,” he tells her, and she flushes, pressing against him and closing her eyes. He looks down and sees the dress is long and he notices there is no slit in it, the silk hides her legs and part of him is disappointed. “Do you have your holster?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Roy laughs against her shoulder, where he presses a chaste kiss. Riza rolls her eyes, turning in his hold. Her hands move up to rest on his shoulders, smoothing down his dress jacket, and his hands move to hold her waist. “Are you ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ve ever been.” He lets out a deep breath. It’s been rumored that the leader of Creta will be in attendance, and relations with them are always shaky. The two of them must be on their best behavior, and it’s making Roy nervous. Riza can tell, because her hands move up to cup his face. 

“Relax,” she tells him, and her thumb gently strokes against his cheek. He feels the cool metal of her ring against his skin and it brings him back down to earth. “It’ll be fine.”

He exhales, and moves a hand from her waist to take her hand in his, kissing the ring. “You’re right,” he says, and his warm breath tickles her knuckles. “And it’ll be over before we know it.”

Riza nods, and her hand wraps around his as a mischievous smile crosses her lips. “And if you survive long enough, you’ll find out where I’m keeping my holster.”

“Are you trying to seduce me using guns?” he asks, and it makes her snicker. 

“It worked, didn’t it?” she replies, and the two of them laugh together, totally and utterly happy. 

“Anything would work on me with you,” he admits, and he sneaks a kiss between giggles. 

Riza smiles against his lips. “We should get going. We’ll be late.”

“Mm, fashionably late,” he replies, and she smacks him on his bicep, eliciting another hearty laugh from him. She moves to hook her arm in his and takes one more look in the mirror, fixing her hair. “You look beautiful, Riza.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she says, blushing despite having heard his word for years now. “Now, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have so many ideas for them, and I wanted to add this as a prequel (?) of sorts - he isn't REALLY proposing yet, just suggestion the idea, but it's pretty implied she says yes. And i have no explanation for the blurb at the end, it just for for me I hope you enjoy! Tons of love to Ace, who helped me with this.


End file.
